VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2022) The possibilities of the Austrian Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services (BBU) have been exhausted, the Primary reception points amid strong influx of refugees from Ukraine are overcrowded, the agency's director Andreas Achrainer said in an interview with Kleine Zeitung newspaper.
"Yes, our possibilities are exhausted. Of course, we are in the process of searching for alternative premises. But this cannot be a solution in the long term," Achrainer said, adding that soon there will simply be no free places at reception and accommodation points for refugees, because "we have reached the capacity limit of our facilities."
The agency is not allowed to provide more places for arriving refugees due to fire and general safety reasons, Achrainer said, adding that the numbers are certainly always mobile, and many refugees who have arrived in Austria leave for other countries.
Answering the question about the increase in energy prices for households that provided Ukrainian refugees with shelter, Achrainer said that he was also concerned about this issue.
"I see a challenge here. Some subsidies for providing (population with electricity) have already been increased, and now we are also striving to provide easy and centralized access to the necessary information. But yes, if the supply costs increase significantly, it will have to be improved again," the head of the agency said, adding that partner organizations in other countries are also turning to Austria because the shelter allocated there to Ukrainian refugees is unsuitable for living in winter conditions.
Achrainer explained that refugee movements always occur in waves, which means that when conditions such as security, food supply or temperature change, people hit the road.
On August 8, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reported that 7.6 million Ukrainian nationals had entered the EU from Ukraine and Moldova since the beginning of the Russian military operation in February.
